Washington, DC – Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, commented regarding the oral arguments made today before the Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v. Perry on Proposition 8, the California ballot initiative defining marriage as one man and one woman.

“No one can predict how the Supreme Court will ultimately rule on the Prop 8 case, but based on oral arguments today, it is possible a majority of Justices could rule that the proponents of Prop 8 lack standing and dismiss the case. If that happens, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling would be dismissed, leaving perhaps only the Northern District of California court ruling. This would mean the ruling applies only to the northern part of California. It is possible the Court could even dismiss the district court ruling and save the issue of marriage for another case. Of course, there is always the possibility the Court could issue a limited ruling or a broad ruling on the matter.

“If the Supreme Court goes the wrong way and rules that there is somehow a ‘constitutional right to same-sex marriage,’ it will become, in my view, an illegitimate arbiter of the rule of law. It will have lost its legitimacy in its entirety, and will have just simply morphed into a political machine. Common sense and a quick read of the Constitution say there is no such right to same-sex marriage,” said Staver.

“The natural family is fundamental to our very existence. Thriving societies need healthy children who grow up into responsible citizens. Healthy children require committed parents who will sacrifice their own desires for the well-being of their children. This is all created within the context of natural marriage between one man and one woman,” Staver concluded.

Liberty Counsel submitted an amicus brief on this case to the Supreme Court and has defended many marriage laws in California since 2004.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.